High School sailing closely parallels the collegiate sailing format. For fleet racing, teams are divided into A and B divisions comprised of different skippers and crews for each division. Team may substitute sailors as long as prescribed substitution rules are followed. Short courses are used, typically windward-leeward with a gate. Course completion times average 18 minutes. Except in rare cases, only 1 fleet is on the water at a time. Two races are completed and then divisions switch, and the boat being sailed by each team is rotated. This allows for coaching and a break. Boat rotation eliminates the possibility of any team having an advantage because of an inherently faster boat.
Teams also participate in Team Racing events where each team fields three boats to sail against three boats from another team. In team racing teammates work together to outmaneuver the other team so that their combined race scores are better than the other team's combined scores.
